Virus Protection

Today I'll be giving a few tips on how to prevent virus infections on your computer.

The best defense against infections are up to date anti-virus software. If you don't have an anti-virus program, you can download one for free.

Avast Home Edition offers their home version for free for non-commercial & home use and includes ANTI-SPYWARE protection, certified by the West Coast Labs Checkmark process, and ANTI-ROOTKIT detection based on the best-in class GMER technology.




You can see below the different resident scanners for instant Messaging, internet mail, Network Shield, and Microsoft Outlook.



And here are the rest of the resident scanners, P2P (peer to peer), Standard and Web Shield.





AntiVir Personal is free anti-virus that constantly and rapidly scans your computer for malicious programs such as viruses, Trojans, backdoor programs, hoaxes, worms, dialers etc. Monitors every action executed by the user or the operating system and reacts promptly when a malicious program is detected. It detects and removes more than 150,000 viruses and includes 7 different resident shields which protect a user's PC, with minimal impact on system performance.


Here are some of the categories Antivir will scan for you:




And this is what the scanner interface looks like.





AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is trusted antivirus and antispyware protection for Windows (Xp, Vista and Windows 7)free for home use. It includes a new LinkScanner® Active Surf-Shield which checks web pages for threats at the only time that matters – when you're about to click that link.




And here is is during a scan:




If you already have anti-virus software, make sure it has updated virus definitions (this is the database of known virus infections used to scan your computer). Most programs have an option to automatically update and scan on a daily or weekly basis and give you the ability to set your scan for a time when the computer is not in use (like the middle of the night). Keeping your anti-virus updated and scanning on a regular basis is very important.


Also, be sure to install Windows Updates whenever they are available. These updates can be downloaded for free from Microsoft and will patch known security holes in your software, as well as adding new features. Windows Update can be configured to install updates automatically, ensuring that a computer is always up-to-date and not vulnerable to computer worms and other malware.

This is what Windows Update looks like if you use Windows XP. It can be reached by going to the Microsoft Windows Update website



If you use Windows Vista or Windows 7, the web site is no longer used for selecting and downloading updates. Instead, enter the control panel and select the Windows Update icon.



Here you can check for updates, configure automatic updates, and see if there are any extras available for your operating system.




Although these tools provide good protection against most average virus infections, some infections are severe and may require professional service.